The force is back in the attraction again for another weekend of Star Wars fun where family and LEGO fans who have always dreamed of having their picture taken with a stormtrooper!

All guests are encouraged to come dressed in costume – guests won’t be alone as there will be experts on hand to show how it’s really done. Other activities will include treasure hunts to spot the Star Wars characters hidden in MINILAND, along with free tickets on offer for the best costume of the day!

Visitors can also take home a limited edition brick – perfect for those with a budding collection.

Event details:
Booking Not Needed
Normal Admission Charges Apply
Storytelling at 11.30am and 2pm
Adult £6, child £3

Play nautical games, get creative in craft sessions, see theatrical performances and meet puppet animal characters based on real stories of adventure at sea.

Win a special, family launch day prize by coming dressed to impress. Get set for the school holidays and the opening of our family friendly exhibition by dressing up in nautical style. Perhaps you fancy yourself as a sailor, the captain or even the ship’s cat. Every child in fancy dress will receive their own mini sailor’s telescope to take home and keep. Be sure to get yours before they run out.

Enjoy live theatrical routines all day with What a Performance shows at 11.15am, 12.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm. See the special, family friendly performances, dramatising stories of bravery, adventure and endurance at sea. Hear the tale of a pioneering submariner from the First World War or follow the dramatic evacuation of soldiers at Dunkirk, through the tale of a man who sailed a ship to help save hundreds of lives.

Meet cuddly character Simon, the ship’s cat, in their Animals Aboard Tour. Learn how Simon survived an enemy siege lasting more than 100 days and was awarded the Dickin Medal for ‘behaviour of the highest order’. Then spot Simon’s remarkable true story in the exhibition. Join the Animals Aboard tour at 11.30am to hear about more wartime animal exploits at sea – from K Dog the dolphin and Winkie the pigeon to Tirpitz the pig and Judy the dog.

Drop in and get creative in the Learning Studio from 1-4pm. Make your own pop-up character in Creative Craft sessions – a sailor or a ship’s cat? You decide. Play party games and enjoy This Weigh to Sweet Heaven. Measure out your weekly sweet portion and imagine life without the food we bring in by sea as you find out about rationing during the Second World War. How long will your sweets last?

On top of all that, jump aboard and test your sea legs in All Aboard: Stories of War at Sea – the major new exhibition for families. Get hands on with activities for all the family in the Imperial War Museum’s first ever large-scale exhibition to look at life at sea in wartime, from 1914 to the present day.

Action-packed and interactive, this is a great day out for visitors of all ages. Want to know why a submarine would deliberately let in water? Control a model submarine to find out. Ever imagined what it would be like to be a sailor? Try out some ‘Jackspeak’ and see if naval clothing would keep you warm on the icy deck of a warship in the Arctic. Guess that ocean smell – is it sea air or just sweaty feet?

Films that will be showing include: Hannah Montanah, Up, Jurassic Park, Spirited Away, Madagascar, High School Musical and Fantastic Mr Fox.

The films will be shown at Spinningfields Square, Manchester.

Visit the spinningfields website for more info.

Get creative whilst you and the kids experiment and play with the material of the month from paper, plastic to cardboard.

You’ll be amazed at the extraordinary things you can do with ordinary stuff! Stay for as little or as long as you want.

Suitable for families with children of any age.  Drop in, no need to book.

Museums will be unrolling an imaginative array of activities across the country. From candle-lit readings, paranormal investigations, sleepovers, night-time tours, musical events and much, much more.

This year’s programme sees the return of firm favourites, like Cabinet War Rooms sleepover and the Old Operating Theatre at St Thomas Church, plus exciting new additions such as the; Helicopter Museum’s ‘Back to the Blitz’ experience, follow a night shift at Cornwall’s Geevor Tin Mine and the chance to see a ‘Light in the Night’ at Cromer’s Lifeboat Museum.

You can find up to date listings at the Culture 24 Website

Baby Loves Disco is an afternoon dance party for little kids (6 months-7 years) and (especially) their parents: featuring Heart 106.2 DJs playing feelgood tracks guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.

This latest and most unlikely dance craze was started in the States and pulled over the pond to debut in London and Manchester …

The fun spills out from all corners of the coolest clubs in town: bubble machines, baskets of instruments, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing (and yes, the cash bar will be open for mommy and daddy!).

Now that sounds fun – see you there

-all parties from 2-5 pm
-admission is £8 for all walking humans. (non-walkers free!)
-if the party is not sold out in advance, there will be a limited number of tickets available at the door and they are cash only.

London
The Clapham Grand
21-25 St John’s Hill
Clapham Junction
SW11 1TT

Manchester
Pure
The Printworks
27 Withy Grove
Manchester
M4 2BS

Visit the Baby Loves Disco website to buy your tickets now – booking advised.

1. Tate Modern , London
This famous Art Gallery has a huge hall and a variety of exhibitions so it is perfect for kids of all ages.

2. Sea Watch Centre, Suffolk
At this National Trust centre the kids can use high-powered telescopes to look for sea birds, porpoises, seals and if you are lucky, dolphins.

3. People’s Story, Edinburgh
Here you can find out all about the history and lives of the inhabitants of the Scottish capital from the eighteenth century to the present day.

3. Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester
This museum tells the story of the world’s first industrial city.

4. Blaise Castle Estate, Bristol
A small gothic castle dating from 1766 with large grounds and play areas for the kids.

5. World Museum, Liverpool
An interactive museum with treasures from around the globe. Each of the five floors has a different theme.

6. Monkwearmouth Station Museum, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
A Victorian Station with large collection of railway and second world war memorabilia. There is a dedicated Children’s Gallery with toys, books and dressing up clothes.

7. National Roman Legion Museum, Cardiff
Let your kids learn about the formidable force of the Romans. At weekends they are even allowed to try on replica armour.

8. Ecopark, Birmingham
Visit these lovely gardens and watch demonstrations about what you can do to become a bit greener.

9. Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, Cheshire
Watch cows being milked, let your kids run around the playbarn and be tempted by the delicious ice-creams.

10. St James City Farm, Gloucestershire
A city centre farm where children and adults can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside.

Do let us know more of your favourite free places